The Story of Us

07/23/2008

I was sitting at the community pool, letting the sun try to tan me. Determined to get tanned and pretty at the start of middle school, I rejected my mom’s attempts at lathering me with sunscreen. I was going to have a fresh start. My glasses slipped off my nose annoyingly as I pushed them up, agitated. The Florida sun was hot, sticky, and humid but I got over it. I was born and raised here after all.

“Alexa!” Someone called to me. My ears perked up at my name. Pushing myself up, I squinted into the sun. My red headed friend, Marie, can towards me. Her chubby legs carrying her closer to me, as I grinned at her. She had switched to my old elementary school the previous year so I hardly saw her.

“Alexa, I didn’t know you were here?” She questioned, her braces glimmering. Behind her, a timid brunette was staring at me. Her big brown eyes strummed at some memory buried in the back of my head.

“Yeah, I’m here with my mom and Andrew.” I shrugged my too-skinny body, nodding towards my mother and my brother. He was nine at this time, and he sat on the lawn chair with his Nintendo DS in his hand, ignoring the world and squinting against the sun.

“Hi Andrew.” Marie grinned at him, as my mother greeted her. Moments later, Marie seemed to remember the girl behind her. “Oh yeah! Alexa, this is my friend Elaine.” She began as Elaine cut her off with a goofy smile that charmed my memory.

“Alexa!” She grinned, pulling me into a hug. To clarify Marie’s confusion, Elaine turned to her. “We were friends in Kindergarten.” She beamed, as Marie nodded slowly, understanding. I came to find out later that Elaine still had a picture of us as children in her room, which Marie failed to acknowledge.

We spent the rest of that day together, going on the one waterslide and swimming endless laps in the warm water. I forgot all about my attempts at tanning before sixth grade, and I had a blast.

Hours later, we got broken out of our trance by a slender brunette woman hurrying towards us. “Elaine, it’s time to get going.” She stated in a sweet voice that made me feel five years old again. Mrs. Jones hair was pulled back into that same brown ponytail, and the same happy smile, but I couldn’t help but notice the wrinkles setting in on her face. They were the same as my mothers. I tried to ignore this, because at this point in my life, no one aged.

“Mom! Do you remember Alexa?” Elaine questioned, wading in the water towards her mother. Her brown hair hung limp and wet down her face. She pushed herself out of her water and grasped the towel her mother was handing out to you.

“Alexa, oh of course I do. Is your mother here with you? I haven’t seen her in ages.” She questioned, as I nodded. I led her to my mother and they connected again. Moments later, the rest of Elaine’s siblings showed up. First, I saw her older sister, Audrie, with her blonde hair and the same blue eyes at Lewis. She was three years older and already in middle school. I stared at her in awe. I found out later in life that Audrie and Lewis were biological and Madison and Elaine were biological siblings. The pairs were stepsiblings. Second, I saw her other sister, Madison, with Elaine’s big brown eyes and brown hair. Lastly, I saw the boy with the big blue eyes.

He had gotten into that heavy pre-teen phase, but that didn’t stop my heart from doing the familiar dance and my stomach from dropping. He wore a shirt and I couldn’t help but wonder what he looked like without it. I blushed at my teenager-like thoughts.

“Mom, are we going yet?” He questioned, his voice raspier than last time. His hair had been grown out and laid floppy against his head. I didn’t want him to leave, I thought, if only he had swam with all of us.

Mrs. Jones snapped out of her gaze and realized that they had to go. My mother offered to Elaine and Marie that they could sleep over. That night we connected as if we hadn’t been apart for five years.

We continued to hang out the rest of summer. Marie’s father had a job in Washington and left, leaving the three musketeers down to two, but that was okay. Elaine and I were friends ago. We were starting Middle school fresh and we were excited.